ERL staff 'Must Reads'

Today I asked our staff:

"What book would you recommend above all others... a must read - fiction or non-fiction."

Here's what they had to say:

Nicholas & Alexandra by Robert K Massie
The story of the last Tsar of Russia & his family. This book started my love of Russian history & literature. It's a beautifully-written & tragic story.
- Lyn


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I loved reading 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak. It was beautifully written but what I liked most was that the narrator was Death. The persona of Death had empathy, character and, at times, a wry sense of humour. Reading the book made be feel differently (better) about death.
- Rose


Daemon | Freedom TM by Daniel Suarez
Definitely for me it's Daemon and Freedom TM by Daniel Suarez. Two-part techno-thriller by a vastly underrated writer. Fizzing with original and terrifying ideas with an incredibly fast pace. What really sets it apart from other thrillers is its deep and thought-provoking social commentary on the nature of popular governance and economic freedom. A must read.
- Liam
(Note: I'm putting in a request that we get Daemon at ERL)


The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
I have just read J.K Rowling's new book written under the alias Robert Galbraith called The Cuckoo's Calling. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Set in modern day London, the story revolves around the "suicide" of a model & the P.I that is asked to investigate the death by her family despite the police concluding the death to be a suicide.

A murder mystery with lots of twists & turns that keep you guessing right to the end.
- Heidi


The Round House by Louise Erdich
The Round House by Louise Erdich is a must read, it actually won the American National Book award. It's a real page turner that involves a terrible crime and fantastic coming of age story. it's  written in a beautiful mythic style.
- Leonie


Dystopian lovers.. Genesis of Shannara by Terry Brooks (series)
How about the Genisis of Shannara a trilogy by Terry Brooks. A fabulous tale that combines our world and the world of magic. It's an exciting tale that has wonderful characters and a great battle between good and evil. Teenagers and adults will love it!
- Leonie


Graphic Novels.. Saga Volume One and Saga Volume Two by Brian K. Vaughan
The Saga 1 and Saga 2. Graphic novels involves a Star Wars epic type prophecy story that breaks all boundaries. I can't wait for the next episode. You will be amazed.
- Leonie


The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
I really enjoyed the Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, made me laugh out loud and kept me awake at night until I finished it.
- Maria


Father Bob: the larrikin priest by Sue Williams
Also Father Bob: the larrikin priest. Filled in lots of gaps about him I didn't know. Some of the anecdotes are hysterical. Overall he seems a very lonely soul with an enormous heart and great sense of social justice.
- Maria


The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Burrows
My must read book is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Burrows. I chose this book initially because I loved the quirky title. This story is set in Guernsey during the German Occupation and it is a real eye opener in illustrating the optimism and humour of the human spirit whilst forced to live in such unfortunate circumstances. I cried and I laughed while reading, which is always the sign of a great story! I recommend for everybody to read this touching story.
- Nicole


Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy

I'd recommend the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy. I was intrigued by the title and the cover art and thought 'Why not just give it a shot? See what it's all about.'. I'm so glad I did because it payed off big time! I fell in love with the witty and magical characters that are Skulduggery and Valkyrie, and i keep finding myself wishing I was in the story with them, joining them on their adventures.

- Hayz

Any titles by Cathy Glass
I can recommend a great author Cathy Glass. I have read all her books, once you start you can not put them down. She is a foster carer and writes about the children she has fostered. Here are some of her titles - Hidden, The night the angels came, The saddest girl in the world. I have recommend her to a few people and they've all had the same reaction
- Tracey

So, what would you add to the list? Let us know via the comments of the blog, on Facebook or Twitter. Tag it #ERLMustReads

Cheers, webgurl

We "Like" - New Beginners Facebook Training Sessions Now Available

Did you know that people check their Facebook page more often than checking their letterbox? Mmm-hmm, true story.

Facebook. Love it, hate it - we have to admit it is the social platform where most people stay in touch with each other. It's not a passing fad, and its not going anywhere any time soon.



Eastern Regional Libraries is proud to announce the new Beginners Facebook Training Sessions! These free sessions are designed for people who would like to learn how to use Facebook but have always been hesitant or sceptical about giving it a go. Does this sound like you or someone you know?


The training will cover:

• Signing up 
• Posting Status Updates, Comments
• Sharing and "Liking"
• Account Security Settings
• Account email Notifications.
• and more!

Special shout-out to to Federica, one of our IT Support Officers, for developing this program. She was inspired to create this opportunity for members as the number of questions regarding how to navigate Facebook has increased significantly over the past few months.The sessions we've already run have been very successful, so thank you to Fede for all her hard work!

It's never too late to get on Facebook - it can be an incredibly rewarding social platform when you know how to use it in a way that suits your needs.

To find out when and where the next available Beginners Facebook Training Session is call 1300 737 277 or Book Online.

Or if you're a bit of a smarty pants - you can find out on our Facebook Page...

The 10 "Power Library User" tips that will save you time

We all probably know someone that has the library all figured out, the "Power Library Users". They get the most out of their public library service and save a lot of time while they're at it.



The following is a short list of tips that will get you on the way to becoming a "Power Library User" at Eastern Regional Libraries. Is it any wonder that all relate to the virtual library. You may have some of your own you'd like to share, so feel free to do so in the comments... so notepads ready? Here goes....

10. Troubleshooting via social media
Power Library Users don't wait for a library visit to sort out issues with downloading eBooks or trouble with their account. They head straight to our Facebook or Twitter pages and connect with library staff there. In addition, we frequently answer questions coming in from members via the Contact form on the website.

9. Suspending your holds while you're on holiday
Have you ever been frustrated to discover one of your holds has arrived while you're on holiday and are unable to pick it up? A great feature of the Enterprise catalogue is the ability to suspend/unsuspend your own holds. Click on the Holds tab in My Account, select the holds and click on the Suspend Holds button. You may reverse it via Cancel Hold Suspension once you're back home.



8. Can't find it at ERL? Switch your search to All Libraries
Eastern Regional Libraries is a member of the Swift Consortium including 19 Victorian libraries. If ERL doesn't have a copy of the item you're looking for, change the target of your search from Eastern Regional Libraries to All Libraries. You may place holds on titles at other libraries.



7. Long waiting list for a physical copy? Check our digital collection
Some titles may experience lengthy waiting lists if they receive some buzz in mainstream media. Power Library Users know to check our Overdrive eBook collection in case we have a digital copy of the title.

6. Get the App
With the exponential increase in the use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, it's worth downloading the apps we make available via the library website. BookMyne allows you to search the catalogue and renew & place holds without having to scroll, pinch etc. The OverDrive Media Console app manages the search and download of digital content such as eBooks and eAudiobooks from our OverDrive collection. Downloading the Zinio app and registering will give you access to our digital magazine collection. We're adding more content all the time.

BookMyne - iTunes Free
BookMyne - Android Free
ERL Libraries Free
Overdrive Media Console Free
Zinio Magazines Free

If iPads and eBooks are still new to you check out our free talks in our libraries.

5. Favourites
Over the past few years many members have enjoyed receiving email alerts when titles by their favourite author have been added to the collection. While Favourites is not available with the new Enterprise catalogue, they may be maintained via the previous eLibrary catalogue and the report will still be sent via email. You will need to be logged into the eLibrary catalogue using your userID and PIN to add, modify and view Favourites. Discover how to add authors to your Favourites through the catalogue guide.

4. Research 24/7
Just because the physical library may be closed doesn't mean that you can't access our resources. Eastern Regional Libraries subscribes to a vast range of online resources, most of which are available remotely from home 24/7. Click on Online Resources on our library website and you'll find encyclopedias, newspapers, online study materials, language courses and more.

3. Placing multiple holds at once
The new Enterprise catalogue allows members to place multiple holds at once, for a series or books by the same author or on the same subject. Just click the checkbox beside the desired titles in the brief results and select Place hold(s) from the action menu at the top.



2. Signing up for date due reminders
This one saves money too. Notify library staff of your email address and we'll add it to your membership record. You'll receive an email 4 days before the item is due so you can renew or return the item on time. Notify the library of any change to your email address and make sure your Inbox isn't full.

1. RSS feeds
There are two places I use RSS feeds regularly. Firstly on the catalogue, to stay updated with the latest titles on a subject. I construct a search and click on the orange RSS feed icon at the top of the brief results. I add the feed to my preferred feed reader, in my case Firefox's Live Bookmarks. I don't need to perform the search over and over, I simply go to the feed.



The other area is the Events Calendar. By clicking on the Upcoming Events link in the calendar and selecting my favourite branch then clicking Go I can view the events in my branch for the next 30 days. By clicking on the orange RSS feed icon on the results page I can add this feed to my preferred reader. If I want to know what's on this month all I need to do is go the the reader. Similarly, on a smartphone I can add an event to my calendar by touching the "9 icon". Voila!



Do you have any favourite tips to share? Let us know in the comments below, on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Cheers, webgurl

Some important notes regarding the OverDrive Media Console upgrade next Wednesday 29th May

So many of our members are enjoying OverDrive ebooks on their mobile devices and it's great to see! We wanted to pass on this announcement from OverDrive regarding the next Media Console upgrade with plenty of notice.

OverDrive are releasing an updated version of the OverDrive Media Console (OMC) mobile app for iOS and Android (v2.6.5) on Wednesday 29th May (Australia time).

Important change for OverDrive Media Console for iOS v2.6.5 (iPhone, iPad etc)

As a result of changes to Apple's privacy policies, OverDrive have had to make changes to the way they handle licensing for EPUB ebooks & MP3 audiobooks. Therefore the upgrade will de-authorise every user's Adobe ID.



After upgrading to OverDrive Media Console v2.6.5 on these devices members will be prompted to authorise the devices with their Adobe ID again. The ID is your email address and hopefully you've remembered the password. To continue reading the ebooks you've previously downloaded you'll need to sign in with the same AdobeID used previously.

Audiobook users

Audiobook borrowers that have partially downloaded an audiobook prior to the upgrade will need to return to the library bookshelf to download any missing parts.



If users try downloading missing parts directly without first reactivating the download from their library website bookshelf, they will receive a ‘downloadManagerErrorDomain:403’ error.

For more information on the upgrade visit the OverDrive blog.

Cheers, webgurl

Getting started with the new Overdrive Next Generation eLibrary

Have you logged into Overdrive eLibrary and noticed a change? This video created by Overdrive will guide you through the changes:


More information can be found at Your Library - Next Generation

There is an identified issue with Internet Explorer. The Next Generation platform works well in all standard and mobile browsers, including Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. The website makes use of web technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3 that are not supported by some versions of Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer 7 users will be automatically prompted to install the Google Chrome Frame Plug-in for general site use. Users may switch to another browser such as Firefox, Chrome or Safari.

cheers, webgurl

Some features of the new Enterprise catalogue you may not have spotted

Well the wrapping is off and everyone is playing with the new Enterprise catalogue and we thought we'd share some of the new features. How many have you spotted? Complete list of Enterprise features

Searching

• The new catalogue uses fuzzy logic searching - a “Did you mean…” message pops up to correct misspellings/typos, and gives results for related terms. People are used to this with web searching.
   
• Searching for DVDs and magazines is even easier. Members can select DVD or magazines from the first drop-down menu and type in the title.
   
• Relevance sorting of results. When a person does a search, the catalogue returns a relevance percentage for each search result and displays each result in order from highest to lowest percentage relevance. Results found in the Title and Author fields are weighted to be more relevant than results in other fields. An exact match in the Title or Author fields will result in a score of 100% relevance. A match in any other field will result in a lower relevance percentage.
  e.g. a search of William Shakespeare in all fields will display titles that have this name in the title or author or both first before any title that might have the name in subject.
  Results may also be sorted via publication date, title or author.
   
• The brief results screen offers 3 ways to view the displayed results. List view includes summaries, thumbnail view has just the book covers and Cool Iris is a floating display of the book covers.

Rooms

The catalogue now has content pages for subject links such as Business, Health and Employment. A DVD page on which we’ll be posting reviews of DVDs in our collection has been added. We’ve also added a page for Online Resources. The catalogue guide contains tutorials with screen images.

New titles

A slideshow has been added to the front page of the catalogue for new Adult Fiction.
A new titles page includes titles added to the collection in the current year:
Adult – CDs, DVDs (feature films, documentaries), Fiction, Non Fiction, Audiobooks, Large type, Graphic Novels
Junior – CDs, DVDs, Fiction, Non-fiction, picture books, teen

Holds

Members can place multiple holds by selecting titles and choosing Place Hold(s) from the Select an Action drop down menu at the top of the results.

My Account

• Logging in via the login form at the left will take members straight to My Account.
• Members can now suspend their holds themselves if they are going on vacation. As well members can edit the pickup location.My Account now displays the place in the hold queue. It is an approximate place as it shows the place within the entire consortium hold queue. ERL members have access to ERL items first so the actual queue place will often be shorter.
• My Account now displays Payment History
• Barcodes of items are included in the Checkouts. Great for magazine borrowers.

Lists

Members can create custom lists once they are logged into the catalogue. These lists will not expire. Lists created while not logged in will expire.

Important notes

Updating browser language for Australian date format
Some members may notice the dates displaying in US format MM/DD/YYYY. The new catalogue is set to display in the language setting of the browser. The default language on most browsers is English (US) and can be changed easily to English (Australia). Change browser language For members using the Chrome web browser add English (United Kingdom) and make this the default language.

Application error
If you get an Application Error has occurred error message please click the back button on the browser and refresh/reload the page. It is only a temporary error message. Alternatively you may reload the catalogue page in your browser by selecting it from your bookmarks/favourites.

Favourites
Favourites are not available with the new Enterprise catalogue. However they may be maintained via the previous eLibrary catalogue and the report will still be sent via email. Members will need to be logged into the eLibrary catalogue http://swft.erlc.sirsidynix.net.au/ using their userID and PIN to add, modify and view favourites.

Cheers, webgurl

Choice magazine content currently unavailable via Gale OneFile

We've been advised that content from Choice magazine is not currently available via the Gale OneFile database while they negotiate a new license for the content.

We apologise for any inconvenience. Choice magazine is still available in physical format from our branches and may be accessed on library PCs via Choice Online from Online Resources on our website (under Other).

We will advise if and when this changes.

Cheers, webgurl

Catalogue down for maintenance over Easter

Hello all,

Just a heads up to let you know the catalogue will be down for some scheduled maintenance over the Easter holidays. Sorry for any inconvenience! It will be back online as soon as it's all finished.

In the meantime - if you have any enquiries, don't hesitate to contact us on our Facebook Page.

Have a wonderful holiday everyone!